Please Take Care of Me, Hanai
by xspirit.shinobix
Summary: After some disapproving opinions from the Tea Club juniors from 1-D, Takano Akira decides to have a small chat with her so-called enemy, Hanai Haruki. BASED ON ACTUAL CHAPTER 270, b61; TAKANOxHANAI


**A/N: Yeah, nothing interesting here. Just a short oneshot. All in all, this one isn't even all that original; I just took the latest chapter of School Rumble and wrote the thoughts and actions as well, I suppose.**

**Meh.**

**But the latest chapter really blew me away. For all your updated-school-rumble fans, listen up...HANAI IS KISSED. **

**Well, on the forehead anyway. But that's not the point here. I might've missed some unimportant scenes, but the main idea is there. I suggest you read the manga chapter first; it doesn't matter too much, though.**

**I know there isn't much action and thought, but more dialouge; it was hard to transfer a chapter directly into a fanfiction; I apologize for the not-so-good-quality of it.**

**Nonetheless, please enjoy.**

**Disclamer: I do not own Hanai, Akira, any characters from School Rumble, not School Rumble itself. What do you say now, huh? **

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**Please Take Care of Me, Hanai**

**by xspirit.shinobix**

--

"He may be pitiful, but you're still being too mean to him, Takano-senpai."

Takano Akira looked, her sharp eyes gleaming upon the statement. No, she wasn't angry in any way. The statement had been somewhat unexpected. Was she, as Sara Adiemus had said, perhaps too harsh to the serious, yet somewhat pitiful, love-stricken Hanai Haruki?

Yes, she restricted Hanai from the tea club, therefore causing an obstruction in his usual Yakumo-chasing frenzy. Sure, she continuously 'bullied' him, insulting him, and stealing away any opportunities that come by. Of course, not in the evil, cruel sense; maybe to him, though. Perhaps it was nothing but poking around for fun. The students of 1-D that joined the gathering at the tea club, however, did not agree to her thoughts.

"You think so?" Akira replied with the usual constant expression that never wavered. In most cases, opinions such as those never affected her. But this had made her thinking upon her actions - actions that apparently to others, seemed inconsiderate.

"Yes, I do." she replied with a gentle smile, setting down her cup.

"If you keep saying things like that to him, he won't come as often. You see how naïve he is." Miki Inabi added with a – ironically enough — naïve expression upon her face.

"Inaba, hearing that from you is a bit…" her friend trailed off, subtly mocking her naivety with a smile. The two argued for a short amount of time, with laughs in between. Sara and Akira both smiled at the liveliness of the two girls.

Sara lightly handled her cup, the contents of the cup slowly swirling. "Well, whether Yakumo's here or not…the only one that will become lonely is him; Hanai-senpai."

Akira rested her chin on her hand. Sara was an understanding and perceptive girl. Sad to say, she was right. Her behavior towards him only hindered him in anything he did. Lifting up her head, she thought back to the incident only minutes ago.

--

"_I'm back!" Sara announced, closing the door softly behind her. Within her hand was a small bag of assorted food and tea ingredients. The small group of female students in the 1-D class beamed, thanking her for running the errand._

_Akira gave her a smile of gratitude, setting her cup of tea on the table. "Thank you, Sara." She paused, as if recalling something. "Oh, that's right—Yakumo sent us a mail."_

_A curious smile formed on Sara's face, eager to hear the news of her best friend. "Ah, did she say something?"_

"_It said..." she looked behind Sara, already having noticed the Yakumo-loving freak behind her. She let out an inward sigh, wondering how on earth he was able to be here. _

"'…I know that Hanai-senpai is madly in love with Suo-senpai, so…I'll stay at least 5 meters away from him at all times.'_ …is what she said." Akira finished with an emotionless expression, though the rest were already accustomed to seeing it daily._

_Sara looked back with a nonchalant expression at Hanai. "Looks like she hates you now." _

"_LIES!" he yelled out, his jaw threatening to drop to the floor. "IT'S ALL LIES!"_

_Akira paid no mind to his mindless jabbering. "Where did you pick him up?" she asked Sara, noticing Sara's non-surprised face when Hanai came about. And yet, she couldn't help but feel strangely grateful that he had stopped by._

"_He just appeared on the street I was on while shopping…it was like he was aiming for me." Sara replied. _

"_Sara! How could you be so cruel so casually?! We were talking the whole time on our way here, too…" he interrupted loudly. As usual, everything to him was taken too seriously. Fortunately, it was a comical sight for the peers._

_Akira eyed him, her sharp eyes boring into his. "Well, what do you want?"_

_He hesitated, his exaggerated face returning to normal. "Well…nothing really…"_

"_So…" Sara smiled innocently. "What you're trying to say is that there was something between you and Suou-senpai!" she giggled._

"_Guh?! Wha-" he stammered, a red flush creeping to his cheeks. "T-that's not what-"_

"_It's fine! I'm not worried at all!" Inaba yelled out in confidence, standing up quickly. Her apparently large crush for Hanai never failed her when it came down to her self-esteem._

"_I don't think this has anything to do with you…" her friend replied with a bored expression._

"_So, you're making excuses? You're underestimating the feelings that girls have; Yakumo's…Mikoto's…" _

_The words '…or mine' almost slipped out after she finished, almost as an impulse. Akira was glad her mouth closed shut before she could say another word. _

"…_I'm in no position to make excuses, but…" he paused, obviously flustered at the topic of the conversation. "…But…we haven't really had the chance to talk…and I have all these lumps in my heart left over." _

"_Ah! Senpai, could it be that…!" Inaba interrupted yet again, with a surprised but excited look etched across her features. "…You're really going out with Suou-senpai and that you've completely fallen in love with her?! Is that what you're trying to say?"_

_Sara happily joined the debate on Hanai's feelings toward the girls. "Oh ho, there's no way around that issue." She let out a smile._

_Hanai's blush only deepened as he shook his arms about widely, desperate for her to stop her persistent way of thinking. "T-THAT'S NOT TRUE AT ALL!"_

_Throughout the whole chatter and accusations, Akira's poise never faltered. "In any case, Yakumo isn't here at the moment. So, what do you intend to do? Drink tea and wait?" she set down her cup of tea softly, as if trying not to make a sound in order to hear his response._

_Hanai hesitated, opening his mouth. No words came out. _

"…_No." he spoke at last. "I'll leave." The uncomfortable look upon his face never left him as he walked out the entrance, closing the door behind him as softly as Sara had. Akira and the 3 other students only watched his departure. _

_--_

Akira sighed as she walked her way out of the school. The girls had convinced her to have a small talk with him, perhaps to 'make him feel better'. She was never good at these kinds of confrontations. Especially with someone like Hanai. Looking out to the entrance, she noticed the sun slowly setting. Had their tea gathering taken that much of the time? Glancing forward, she saw him, who was leaving for home as she was.

Well, this was just the perfect timing.

And yes, there was sarcasm involved in that thought.

As she headed towards his direction, he turned his head. A slightly anxious look came over his face. "Er…Takano…" he spoke.

She stopped after being only a foot away from him. "Don't be scared." She looked up – he was, and always had been, taller than she was. It was odd how these features had never intimidated her in any way.

"The juniors are mad at me for being too insensitive," she continued with the same, passive expression. So I'll forgive you...if you let me flick your forehead."

Hanai hesitated as he was thrown off in confusion at such a strange request. But nonetheless, he reluctantly obliged. "Well, I guess it can't be helped…"

Akira motioned her flicking finger to bend down a little. "I can't flick your head at this rate…lower your head." She commanded.

"J-Just do it already…!" he muttered, as he bent his head down to meet her standards. Was she ever this short? He had never noticed, as she was the one who always cruelly picked on him. Closing his eyes, he waited for the sharp pain on his forehead, but felt—

…Something soft?

…Something warm?

It finally hit him.

...

Akira lowered her heels down – even with him bending down, her face still couldn't reach his forehead without resorting to tip-toes. Oddly, she hadn't planned anything close to what she had just…'accomplished'. But she couldn't ignore the urging impulse that compelled her actions. Nevertheless, she felt as if a heavy weight had lifted off her chest. A grin flashed on her mature features. She looked at the man before him, who now was sweating profusely, with blood rising to his head as if there was no tomorrow. In only a matter of seconds, his face had turned into a human tomato.

"Wha—what--!" he stuttered, but to no avail; he couldn't get a single word out without distorting it to sound like gibberish. Her lips…landing on his forehead…wasn't she supposed to flick him? Too many thoughts were swimming through his head; nothing made sense whatsoever. "Wh-"

"Let's try to do better," she interrupted, her back facing his as she walked past him. "It's a bother trying to do it all at once. I'll forgive you for today."

Akira turned her head slightly, a gentle smile playing on her lips.

"Please take care of me next year."

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**A/N: Ja, I know. She kissed his forehead. Personally, I would have never expected anything of the sort. But the again, I doubt an incident like this will ever happen again. Just my opinion.**

**Just reminding you; the thoughts of the characters and descriptions of their action (not the action themselves) are made up by me. Yeeup.**

**REVIEW. Don't tell me I have to beg for it as I always do...Oh noez.**

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